


Our facades

by glycoproteins



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Architect! sansa, F/M, Jon and Sansa in their 30s, Modern AU, history researcher!Jon, single mom! Sansa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:54:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22349875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glycoproteins/pseuds/glycoproteins
Summary: Restoration architect Sansa Stark has begun to resemble the adobe walls she loves. Or at least that's what her friends say. But Sansa knows better--she is just being cautious.  After all, as a single mom, her kids are her first priority.But one drunken night, her friends push her to a trippy fire-cleansing ritual, meant to purge you of bad luck in order to find your next romance.  Sansa thinks it's a joke...until a few days later, she finds a half-naked stranger in her bed.Hot, brooding (and tatted!) researcher Jon Snow is exactly the kind of guy Sansa should avoid.  But when they end up sharing a house, Sansa finds Jon's brooding charming and rare smiles increasingly difficult to resist.Will Sansa continue to keep the walls around her heart? Or will she finally allow the fire to thaw the ice since her last relationship?
Relationships: Harry Hardyng/Sansa Stark (past), Jon Snow/Sansa Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	Our facades

**Chapter 1**

"How long has it been since you last had some?" 

I was in the middle of my tequila shot when Margaery popped the question. She sat across me from her sofa, looking as if she'd simply inquired about the weather. _Hey, haven't seen you in a while. Had any sex lately?_

Coughing at the liquid fire that burned down my throat, I swiped the back of my hand across my mouth. It'd serve her right if I barfed all over her floral velour upholstery, I squinted at her, "Are we really talking about my sex life?"

"Or lack thereof?" Arya, who was sitting beside Marg, raised a thick, perfectly trimmed eyebrow as she sipped from her own tumbler of brandy, her current poision of choice and preferred poison, as always. 

"I hate you all." Impervious to my insults, Arya smiled back at me. She and Margaery actually exchanged evil smiles. Sometimes, it surprises me how far we've come, that Arya willingly hangs out with Margaery, knowing that they are on the extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of personality. Arya and I grew up as different as night and day, while I adored art and immersed myself in the beauty and history of buildings and how to restore these historical marvels of architecture, Arya preferred to be out and about. While I whip buildings into shape, Arya whips and moulds architecture of the human body or as how I like to describe her job as the top physical trainer of many Olympic athletes. Rare are the days that Arya and I are at each other's throats, we've done a lot of growing up and are now able to understand what kind of love we need from each other. 

However, it is still true what they say--there's a fine line between love and hate. As much as I love these two, there were times I would happily strangle them. Or just really cut-off their hot water supply when they are visiting me in Winterfell. That seems much more a lasting retaliation against how they are making fun of me right now. 

"Sansa, it's not healthy!" Margaery said as she took another swig of her red wine. 

I rolled my eyes, "So says the person who gets laid thrice a week." 

"Not fair!" She pouted, drama-queen mode on. "I've matured in the past few years." If there was anything you need to know about Margaery is that she is probably the most appealing and attractive person who has ever walked on Westeros. We were roommates in college and I was (and still am) a witness to the never-ending parade of suitors vying for her attention. Not that she gives them the time of the day, Margaery is just in love with love--constantly looking for the genuine romance instead of quick tumbles in her bed with men who only want her for the attention she could give them. 

"Yeah, now she only picks up random guys once a week!" Arya sniggered as she sucked on a lemon wedge. Margaery slapped Arya's arm in protest. "I sometimes have dry spells due to work and I go without for weeks!" But then she smiled, "But when the work is done, it's time to play!"

"I've known you for almost 15 years Marg and that is still too much information!" Grimacing, I turned to Arya, "So where is Gendry tonight?"

Arya's boyfriend Gendry is a part of a team that designs and makaes the most popular swords and weapons that are in use in every fantasy series in Westeros right now, and also of several other multinational franchises outside of Westeros. 

"Essos, I think he said when I talked to him this afternoon." Arya handed me another shot glass. "Too bad you won't stay until the weekend to see him."

"Wow, Gendry still calls you every single day?" Margaery asks, clearly amazed and if I didn't know better, slightly envious that Arya has someone who constantly messages her about his whereabouts and talks to her about his day. 

"I'd kick his balls if he missed a day." Licking the salt off her wrist, she downed a shot of tequila and grimaced. Tilting my head, I looked curiously at her. 

"It never occurred to you that it might be a good change if you called him?""

"I do call him!" Arya protested. 

"Oh yeah! she does!" Margaery nodded, eyes wide. "But it's usually to say 'Gendry, I'm going to be home late so you'd better clean the house and have food on the table when I get home!" Arya and Gendry moved in together more than a year ago, a fact that shocked everyone after Arya vehemently denying that they were in a relationship for two years. 

Arya throws a lemon wedge at Margaery and hisses, "I only do that when I am stressed!" 

"You're stressed all the time! Imagine coaching how many athletes to Olympic gold? You're always thinking of ways to punish them!" Margaery raised her arms to cover her face. 

Amidst threats of disembowelment and destruction of anything floral in Margaery's apartment, I checked my messages on my phone. This was nothing new. Arya and Margaery are happiest when they are arguing and they like to do it when I am visiting King's Landing. Arya specifically makes the trip from Storm's end just so we could have our monthly drunken night ins and so that she can tease about Margaery's lifestyle in the capital. 

"Back to you, Sansa" Marg said when they both had calmed down (and downed a shot of tequila each). "Be honest, there's been no one since Harry, 'no?" 

We had an uncharacteristically quiet moment. We didn't mention Harry if we could help it. Arya and Marg had never met him, but they knew he hurt me bad. 

"Aw Sansa, was he _that_ well-hung?"Marg asked. 

"Maaaarggg!!!!"

Marg ducked the stream of lemon wedges that I had thrown her. "I had to ask! There's been no one since him, so he must've been a pretty good lay." 

Arya leaned forward and looked me straight in the eye. "Sans, that scumbag isn't worth turning into a celibate for."

"Tell heeeer! Those tits have a life of their own and they are being wasted honey!" Marg added with a very obvious and lascivious wink of her eye. "You need to date again, Sans!"

My jaw dropped as I gaped at them. "I do! _Hel-lo!_ Exhibit A: painful lunch hour with Joffrey the Jerk today."

Marg elbowed Arya, "You told me he was her type!" to which Arya quipped with, "Well, you didn't tell me he sucks major ass! And that he is the most self-centered and self-serving person in this side of Westeros!"

"But he was cute!" Marg pouted. "What went wrong _this_ time?" 

I rolled my eyes. "Besides the fact that he was always talking about him and his mother? How he started our date by saying that I should give him a kiss for his presentation that afternoon?" Arya snorted. I turned and pointed a lemon wedge at Margaery. "See? I date."

Her brows shot up, "Well that wasn't a date, obviously."

"Well, what was it?"

"Coercion! Trickery Deception! Fraud!" Marg winced when Arya slapped her arm. "How about the other guy? Robin, was it?" 

I reached for another lemon. My voice was a matter-of-fact as I reminded them, "No. Robin had tried to sell me a life insurance instead. Said he works for this man called Littlefinger. Who trusts a man named Littlefinger? I fled immediately." 

We burst out laughing as we recalled that disastrous dinner with Robin, who apparently was driven to the restaurant by his mother and actually chaperoned by his mother during our date, where she was sitting by the next table. 

_But, see? I do date._ In fact, whenever I came to King's Landing and met up with Marg and Arya, I always expect them to foist someone new on me. Thus lunch with Joffrey earlier. Unfortunately, Marg's acquaintance turned very nasty when I said why would I give him a kiss. 

"Seriously, Arya and I have been talking about this. All the dates you've been to are guys we set you up with." Margaery reminded me. 

"So?"

"Sansy-pansy, you haven't gone out with a guy who is actually your type." Arya sing-songed. 

Before I could even open my mouth and defend myself, Marg answered. "Remember Ramsay in college? And Griff?"

"Oh yeah!" Arya snapped her fingers and laughed. "It's been so long, I almost forgot. Sansa likes them surly and brooding. Dressed in black from head to toe with a cigarette dangling from their hand!" 

"Don't forget the sneer!" Marg cackled along with her. 

Arya nodded, "Griff had a great sneer. Went with his whole I-don't-talk-to-people-beneath-me routine." 

"At least he didn't mind when Sansa was out with our friends before. Ramsay was so jealous, you'd think we were having a secret relationship behind his back!", Marg giggled as she recalls my string of failed relationships in college. 

"True! Griff was better. At least he came to the office when Gendry hired him, even though he didn't do a speck of work. Although he stopped coming into work just suddenly. Why was that again?" Marg turned to me. 

"He got into the Nights' watch, a noble band of brothers he said."

"Yup! And then he wrote you off because brothers apparently can't take wives." Marg laid a sympathetic hand on my knee. "At least that was a clean break. Ramsay was psychotic! I thought we'd never be rid of him!"

Arya laughed, "I know! We even got the lawyers involved and then he just suddenly disappeared. Would've loved to feed that ass to our dogs at home."

I winced at the memory. It was true--I hadn't had the best taste in guys. Perhaps that was why Marg and Arya were hell-bent on setting me up with smartly-dressed men who tried to sell me insurance. _Perhaps those were the sort of guys I ought to go for?_

After all, not every man they pushed at me had been a creep. There had been some guys who were worthy of a second or third date. Only the second date never happened. Ever. 

"I have a theory!" Arya clapped her hands together, with utmost enthusiasm oozing out from her. "You like those type of guys because of our family. It's your way of acting out. Sansa, consistently pressured to be the perfect daughter."

"Oh come on Arya, leave mum and dad out of this." I widened my eyes at her. 

"Sans, you know I love our family. But seriously, haven't you ever felt you always needed to be good? To conform with mum's very strict code of conduct?"

That struck a chord. Because somehow, even if our family had never said anything, I'd always felt pressured. I always felt like someone was watching, the endless etiquette lessons from when we were kids made me wary of how I act and speak all the time. It felt like someone was always waiting to see if I'd measure up, waiting for me to mess up, and waiting to say, _See? She isn't as perfect as you'd think!_

Maybe Arya had a point. 

"Perhaps I have. But those aren't the types of guys I go for now."

"Really?" Marg's tone was incredulous. "And what kind of guys do you like _now?"_

I paused for a minute to think. "Someone brave. Someone gentle. Someone strong. Someone stable. Someone who won't let me down. Someone I can trust." I wrinkled my nose. The images those words evoked were kind of staid and boring. _Oh well, I had to grow up sometime._ "No more angst, no more mysterious, broody guys." 

Arya laughed, "You actually think you get to choose who you fall for?"

"You know what you need?" Marg wiggled her eyebrows. 

"Besides a sex life?" Arya said as she sipped her brandy. 

Marg shushed her. She turned to me and I would have taken a step back if I hadn't been sitting down. There was a dangerous glitter in her eyes that I'd come to recognize over the years. 

"Sansa," Marg's voice quavered slightly, "I have an idea!" 

**Author's Note:**

> I know, i know. This is kind of a very contemporary way of Jonsa AU and I am just trying my hand at this.If you wanna talk, come yell at me @radiantbyfire on twitter.


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